Method for filling a hole in metal sheeting



Sept. 27, 1960 F. REED 2,953,847

METHOD FOR FILLING A HOLE IN METAL SHEETING Filed Feb. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. .1.

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Sept. 27, 1960 F; EED 2,953,847

METHOD FOR FILLING AHOLE IN METAL; SHEETING Filed Feb. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

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,qrrae/vars' METHOD FOR FILLING A HOLE IN METAL SHEETING Frank Reed, 3610 Las Vegas Blvd., N., North Las Vegas, Nev.

Filed Feb. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 716,618

3 Claims. (Cl. 29-401) The present invention relates to a method for filling a hole in metal sheeting.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a hole in metal sheeting which enables an operator to fill a hole in a metal panel, such as an automobile body or fender, with facility and dispatch.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a hole in metal sheeting which enables an operator to fill a hole in a metal panel in which no access is provided to the underface of the panel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling a hole in metal sheeting which is economically feasible and highly efficient in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a supporting device for use with the method of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1, showing the device installed over a hole in a metal panel and supporting a bracing element on the other face of the panel;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of a spreading and smoothing tool used in the method of the present invention;

Figure 6 is another isometric view of a second spreading and smoothing tool;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a step in carrying out the method of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing another step in the method of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a further step;

Figure 10 is an isometric view showing the final step in carrying out the method of the present invention;

Figure 11 is a sectional view through the metal panel in its finished form;

Figure 12 is an isometric view of one form of a bridging element used in the method of the present invention;

Figure 13 is an isometric view of another form of a bridging element; and

Figure 14 is an isometric view showing the use of the bridging element shown in Figure 13 in filling a hole in an installed metal sheeting or panel.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, Figures 1 to 4, the reference numeral 20 represents an inverted U-shaped bridging device having the free ends of each of its legs bifurcated, as in Figure 3, and sharpened to a pair of points so as to provide a nonslip engagement with a metal panel 22. The b ight of the device 20 has a vertically extending threaded bore 26 threadedly atent 2,953,847 Patented Sept. 27, 1960 receiving a vertically disposed screw element 28. A horizontally disposed arm 30 projects outwardly from the lower end of the screw element 28 and abuttingly 1y engaged upon the portion of the screw element 28 above the boss 24 and serves, when rotated, to raise or lower the screw element 28.

The method of the present invention provides a bridging element 34 having a flexible supporting member 36 projecting perpendicularly from the midportion of the bridging element 34, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The supporting member 36 is preferably a strand of wire having a button or an enlargement 38 on the lower end thereof and having the upper end inserted into a transverse bore 40 provided in the lower end of the screw element 28 with a portion adjacent the upper end wrapped around itself to secure the member 36 to the lower end portion of the screw element 28.

The next step consists in positioning the bridging element 34 so that the member 36 extends through the hole, as at 42 in Figure 2 and in Figure 4, in the panel 22 with the free end of the member 36 perpendicular with respect to and spaced from one face of the panel 22 and so that the bridging element '34 extends across the hole 42 with a portion of the bridging element 34 mounting the hole 42 in bearing contact with the opposite face of the panel 22.

With the bridging element 34 on the underface of the panel 24 and covering the hole 42, tension is applied to the supporting member 36 by tightening of the thumb nut 32 with the arm 30 at the limit of its clockwise movement, as seen in Figure 1 and abutting against the one leg of the device 20. This applies a pulling force to the free end of the supporting member 36 of a magnitude such as to maintain the bridging element 34 in position against the other face of the panel 22.

The next step consists in applying heat, as shown in Figure 7, in which the nozzle of a gas or acetylene torch is shown and designated by the reference numeral 44, to one end of a stick of solidified pure metal or alloy, as at 46. With the metal melting and in a molten or' fusing state, the hole 42 is filled to excess, as shown in Figure 8, and a smoothing tool is used to smooth the upper surface of the plug thus formed in the hole 42. Previously, a flux has been added to the beveled or countersunk walls of the hole 42 and to the exposed part of the bridging element 34 so that the bonding metal or alloy flows easily over the exposed portion of the element 34 and upwardly along and in close metallic contact with the walls of the opening 42. The tool 48 shown in Figure 8 smoothing the plug 50 formed by the molten metal is shown in detail in Figure 5 and is seen to have a flat bifurcated lower portion 52 and an upwardly extending curved handle 54. The slot 56 in the portion 52 of the tool '48 is used to receive the supporting member 36 so that the tool 48 may be worked around the supporting member 36 as the cooling plug 50 is smoothed so that its upper surface is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the panel 22.

Another form of the smoothing tool is shown in Figure 6 and designated by the reference numeral 58, such tool having a rounded lower smoothing surface as at 60.

After the molten material has been spread over the entire area of the hole 42, it is allowed to solidify to a solid plug integrally bound to the walls of the hole and tothe bridging element '34.

p The next step consists in, as shown in Figure '9, severing the supporting member 36 adjacent the plug thus formed, such'severing being done with a hand actuable wire cutter as at 62.

The next and final step of the method of the present invention consists in abrading away, by a portable grinder 64, for example, as shown in Figure 10, the portion of the plug 50 and the severed portion of the supporting.

tofore described. When the underface of the panel hasno access opening thereto, .a bridging element such as is shown in Figure 13 may be used as shown in Figure 14- to bridge the underface of an opening in such panel having no access thereunder. In this case, the bridging element, designated by the reference numeral 34 in Figure 13 and in Figure 14, is first inserted through the hole in the panel from one face to the other face of the panel with the free end of the associated supporting member 36' spaced exteriorly of such hole, the latter being designated by the reference numeral 42'. With the element 34' positioned so that it extends across the hole 42 with the portion bounding the hole in bearing contact with the panel underface and the free end of the supporting member 36 perpendicular with respect to and spaced from the panel upper face, the previously described steps of filling the hole with a metallic material and smoothing the same, severing the supporting member and abrading the thus formed plug and remaining portion of the supporting member are performed to carry out the method of the present invention for fillinga hole in an installed metal panel or sheeting with a plug formed wholly from a fused material.

It will be seen therefore that in carrying out the method of the present invention the sheeting or panel having the hole to be filled with a plug formed wholly from a fused material, certain precautions must be taken in the preparation of the hole and bridging element 34, 34'. The walls of the hole ,must be clean and wiped with flux and the adjacent exposed portion of the element 34 must be similarly clean and wiped. Tension applied to the supporting member 36 must be such that there is no undue bending of the panel 22 and when heat is applied by the nozzle 44 to the metal stick or solder bar 46, the heat must be such that no warping of the bounding wall of the hole nor of the element 34 occurs. Preferably, the tool-48 is used first tosmooth and spread the molten metal or alloy of metals with the area of the hole and the tool 48 is then used to obtain as flat a surface as possible on the cooling plug 50. With the walls of the hole previously tapered with afile so as to have a countersunk appearance and subsequent bounding of the plug 50 to the walls of the hole, the adherence of the plug 50 to the exposed portion of the element 34 will effectively hold the plug 50 within the hole in the panel 22.

What is claimed is:

V 4 rial filling said hole to solidify to a solid plug integrally bound to the wall of said hole and to said element, severing substantially all of the free end portion of said supporting member at a location adjacent of the solidified plug and removing said severed portion of the supporting member, and abrading away the portion of the thus formed plug and the severed portion of said member exteriorly of the thus formed plug 'until it is flush with said one face of said sheeting.

2. The method for filling a hole in installed metal sheeting with a plug formed wholly from a fused mate rial which comprises providing a bridging element having a supporting member projecting perpendicularly from the midportion thereof, inserting said element through said hole from one face to the other face of said sheeting with the free end of said member spaced exteriorly of said hole, positioning the thus inserted element so that it extends across said hole with the portion bounding said hole in bearing contact with the sheeting other face and the free end of the member perpendicularly with respect to and spaced from the sheeting one face, applying a pulling force to the free end of said member of a magnitude such as .to maintain said bridging element in position against the sheeting other face, filling said hole with a metallic material in afused state while the pulling,

force is being applied to the free end of said member, maintaining the pulling force while allowing the material filling said hole to solidify to a solid plug integrally bound to the wall of said hole and to said element, severing substantially all of the free end portion of said supporting member at a location adjacent of the solidified plug and removing said severed portion of the supporting member, and abrading away the portion of the thus formed plug and the severed portion of said member exteriorly of the thus formed plug until it is fiush with said one face of said sheeting.

3. The method for filling a hole in installed metal sheeting with a plug formed wholly from a fused material which comprises providing a bridging element having a supporting member projecting perpendicularly from the midportion thereof, inserting said element through said hole from one face to the other face of said sheeting with the free end of said member spaced exteriorly of said hole, positioning the thus inserted element so that it extends across said hole with the portion bounding said hole in bearing contact with the sheeting other face and the free end of said member perpendicularly with respect to and spaced from the sheeting one face, applying a 1. The method for filling a hole in installed metal sheeting with a plug formed Wholly from a fused material which comprises providing a bridging element having a supporting member projecting perpendicularly from the midportion thereof, positioning said element so that said member extends through said hole with the free end of said member perpendicular with respect to and spaced from one face of said sheeting and said element extends across said hole with the portion bounding said hole in bearing contact with the other face of said sheeting, applying a pulling force to the free end of said member of a magnitude such as to maintain said bridging element in position against the sheeting other face, filling .said hole with a metallic material in a fused state While the pulling force is being applied to the free end of said member, maintaining the pulling force while allowing the mate:

pulling force to the free end of said member of a magnitude such as to maintain said bridging element in position against the sheeting other face, filling said hole with a metallic material in a fused state while the pulling force is being applied to the free end of said member, spreading said material while in a fused state over the entire area of said hole, maintaining the pulling force while allowing the material filling said hole to solidify to a solid plug integrally bound to the wall of said hole and to said element, severing substantially all of the free end portion of said supporting member at a location adjacent of thesolidified plug. and removing said severed portion of the supporting member, and abrading away the portion of the thus formed plug and the severed portion of said member exteriorly of the thus formed plug until it is flush with said one face of said sheeting.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,309,033 Irwin July 8, 1919 2,252,986 Scott Aug. 19, 1941 2,692,425 Martin Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,106 Great Britain June 22, I945 

